Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, 917-887-0146
(Washington, DC) – Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler has finalized National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone, or smog, that blatantly expose children, older adults, and other vulnerable groups to unacceptable health risks. In response, Molly Rauch, Public Health Policy Director for Moms Clean Air Force, issued the following statement:
“Administrator Wheeler’s refusal to strengthen national standards for smog will lead to more kids having asthma attacks that could have been prevented, more missed school days, more lung infections, worsening of dangerous chronic conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and more children whose lung development is impaired.
“With today’s finalization of the ozone rule, Administrator Wheeler has continued a longstanding habit of flouting science and public health to protect dirty industries from having to clean up their pollution. Wheeler’s decision to neglect our communities through his do-nothing decision leaves children, older adults, Black and brown Americans, and those with underlying health conditions more vulnerable to serious health harms, including asthma, lung infections, COPD, stunted lung development, heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, congestive heart failure, and premature death.
“There are well-documented health harms of breathing ozone at levels below 70ppb; by crippling the science advisory committees at EPA, including by sidelining academic scientists to the advantage of industry-funded ones, Administrator Wheeler was able to create a veneer of normalcy for rejecting mainstream science.
“Today’s decision also exemplifies Wheeler’s systematic effort to stifle public input on life-or-death pollution actions. The COVID-19 pandemic makes it harder than ever for the public to provide input on this major rule, yet Wheeler chose a shockingly curtailed timeline, offering no reason whatsoever why the comment period should be so abbreviated. This is the choice of an administrator who does not want to hear our voices. Wheeler’s disregard for our families fundamentally undermines this dangerous rulemaking.”